2023 Augmentation Residency

Purpose

The Augmentation Residency provides a platform for creative technologists to come together and intensively design the next impactful technologies in the fields of wearable computing, XR, BCI, and AI. With mentorship from renowned experts provided to a driven team of creative technologists, the residency outputs concrete technology and advanced methodologies. We strive to push the frontiers of augmentation technology and its impact on humanity through self-experimentation and collaboration.

Overview

The Augmentation Residency is a 10 week long, fully immersive, and living-expenses-paid* residency program in which 8 creative technologists live and work together to build augmentation technologies.

We will integrate product development, research, self-experimentation, and creative storytelling to produce (1) augmentation technologies, (2) generalizable insights on human-technology system dynamics, and (3) a documentary capturing the entire experience and the stories that arise along the way.

Meet our cohort!

Alice Cai

Creative technologist
Designing major in Human Augmentation @ Harvard
Technical background: software (XR, generative ML, full stack), microfabrication & nanomaterials
Storyteller at heart, grew up writing sci-fi novels

Aida Baradari

Creative physicist and technologist
CS & Physics @ Harvard
Technical background: hardware & software (Electronics, ML, CAD, 3D modeling, algorithms)
Prior research in: Quantum mechanics, and nanoscale optics @ CERN and CQN
Musician and composer since young age

Treyden Chiaravalloti

Creative rebel
Exploring immersive Tech @ Harvard GSD & MIT
Technical background: Film-video, Wearables, Software (generative ML) & Hardware (robotics) integration, etc.
Natural-born performer, studied dance @ Juilliard

Dünya Baradari

Transdisciplinary developer
Neuroscience, biology & CS @ UCL & Leipzig
AI + BCI research @ MIT Media Lab
Technical background: SWE, UX/UI design, product management
Co-wrote a book on scaling up startups

Aedan Cullen

Embedded systems engineer @ Apple
Studied CS @ Rice University while building electronics for AR by night
Technical background: consumer electronics design (HDI, System-in-Package), computer architecture (high-performance microprocessors, accelerators), systems programming (embedded Linux, RTOS), robotics (motion planning, computer vision)
Serious about software and constantly making custom hardware

Inga Zhuravleva

EECS @ UC Berkeley
Technical background: system and electrical design of non-invasive neural interfaces (EMG, EOG), computer vision/ML, hardware hacks
Research in: speech synthesis BCIs
Curious about sensory substitution/augmentation and vision science

Ellery Buntel

Computer Scientist obsessed with AI & Human Augmentation
PhD Student at Tufts University studying BCI and neural ML
Technical Background: Software Engineering, ML, BCI, Cloud Computing
Research experience in nanoscale optics, autonomous UAV navigation, BCI, RL, and computer vision

Screen_Shot_2023-06-14_at_11.47_edited.jpg

Jennifer Huang

Creative technologist (got laid off 3 weeks ago and have been chilling at coffee shops since then :D)
Studied CS for undergrad and went to Industrial Design grad school to design physical objects
Technical background: software engineering (swift, unity, web, python), woodworking, welding, 3d modeling, furniture design, soft goods
Passionate about physical interface & tangible media

Updates

Becoming Cyborgs: 2023 Augmentation Residency

Thank you!

Thank you to the amazing mentors and advisors that have supported us throughout the program:

Jørn Lyseggen, Chris Smoak, Paul Hayre, Caitlin Kalinowski, Pedro Lopes, Steve Mann, Ori Inbar, Tomas Vega, Courtnie Paschall, and Lucas Chu who have helped make this possible.

Special thanks to Ryan Vir who contributed to the research and the organization of the Augmentation Showcase!